1871 Census - Jonah Fossey - COMPLETED WITH VERY MANY THANKS TO KARENLEE

[karenlee]

Sure can Zephyr. 

Fingers crossed they turn up there........ have you considered that they may have emigrated?

Karenlee

[karenlee]

Checked the 1881 and found :_

Jonah's brother George in Keighley Yorkshire, widowed and living with his mother in law Christina BRIGGS.

Other brother's Charles and William still at home with parents Daniel and Sarah.

Having found a brother in Yorkshire I am now wondering if the Jonah I found in Yorkshire born Arlesey might not be yours.

It does say he's unmarried and the age is out by about 3 years.... but still the most likely one yet. 

I will see if I can find this Jonah on any  other census so that we can positively rule him out.

Karenlee

[kanskar]

Only Births I can find are (from Freebmd):

Jun 1851 Qtr - Male Fossey - Biggleswade 6 - 58 (no corresponding death for this child)

Sep 1851 Qtr - John Fossey - Biggleswade 6 - 58

Kanskar

[Zephyr]

Hello Karenlee and Kanskar

Thank you both for your trouble on this one.  I don't think the Jonah in Yorkshire is the one I am looking for.  According to the IGI, Mary Ann Johnson married Jonah Fossey on 25.9.1871.  He was 20 and she was 19.  Also on IGI, there is a birth of a Jonah Fossey on 20.4.1851 which would fit in with the Male Fossey whose birth was registered in June quarter 1851.   

Fingers crossed that Jonah reappears on 1891 or 1901, otherwise emigration is another line to follow.

With many thanks.

Zephyr
 

 

[Zephyr]

Hello Karenlee and Kanskar

Today I had a brainwave!!!  I looked on freebmd for any Fosseys born c 1871/72 (Jonah Fossey and Mary Ann Johnson married in 1871) and in 1872 there was a Mary Ann E Fossey.  I then searched on the IGI and found the birth of a Mary Ann Elizabeth Fossey, parents Jonah Fossey and Mary Ann Johnson.  The entry also gave the information that she married in 1894 in Kansas - so, Karenlee, it looks like yours was a good idea and that the family did indeed emigrate, probably sometime between 1872 and 1881.

Thank you for all your efforts in trying to trace the family for me on censuses post-1871, it was most appreciated.  I'm only sorry that I seem to have wasted some of your time and effort, but thank you for your help.

With kind wishes.

Zephyr
 

[karenlee]

How wonderful that you found them.  So happy that I could help you out with them too.

Good luck with searching in the US.

Cheers
Karenlee

[aester667]

If you are wondering about the Jonah Fossey who emigrated to the US, I am one of his descendants in the US. He emigrated to Kansas. I have a letter addressed to him from England and a Methodist Hymnal he brought with him from England.

[Zephyr]

Hello Aester667

So lovely to hear from you.  It is quite a while since I have done any research on the Fossey family - looks like I am going to be busy now knowing where they emigrated to.  I will be able to update my tree on Ancestry.

Jonah married Mary Ann Johnson.  Mary had a sister Betsy Ann Johnson who married a Robert Bardy from York, Yorkshire, England, and it is the Bardy family that is my main area of research - my line of descent being from one of Robert's brothers!  Robert and Betsy moved back to York and had two sons and two daughters, one of their sons emigrated to the USA.

How marvellous for you to have a letter and a Hymnal - that is quite a bit of history to have in the family.  Is the letter from one of Jonah's brothers or sisters?

I have now found Jonah on the censuses at Salt Creek, Reno, Kansas so am looking forward to adding his sons/daughters to my tree.  Could I ask which of his sons/daughters you are descended from?

Many thanks for contacting me with your very interesting news and I look forward to hearing from you.

With kind wishes.

Zephyr 

[aester667]

 Zephyr,

I am glad to see your reply, distant cousin across the pond! lol.

Jonah Fossey is my great-great-great grandfather. He was born in 1850 and died in Nickerson, Kansas in 1948. He was married to Mary Anne Johnson on Sept 25, 1871 in Arlesey, Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom (where the hymnal I have came from). She lived from 1850-1907. They had 8 children. (Mary Anne Elizabeth Fossey, Charles Percy Fossey, Lila Eliza Fossey, Herbert Daniel Fossey, Johnson Samuel Fossey, William James Fossey, Maude Pearle Fossey, and Percy Jay Fossey.) Mary Anne Elizabeth Fossey is who I descend from.

If you need more information about my tree, let me know. Family Search has a good amount of information on this branch of the Fossey tree.

As far as the letter I found, it is from a Hannah Papworth. The letter is addressed to Jonah Fossey in Nickerson Kansas and the address says United States in the address. I think it came from England. It expresses condolences at his mother's passing, but it also talks about how sad his wife will be, so it may be her mother, rather than his. I am not sure. I am trying to figure it out. If you know the name Hannah Papworth, or it rings a bell let me know please. The woman who wrote the letter was his aunt either by blood or marriage. The mother that died was her sister (that is what the letter says.)

I will look around for more Fossey relics. My grandmother was fond of saving things and preserving letters. I have some from Jonah Fossey's daughter as well that she preserved. I was so surprised to see the one addressed to him, as it must be over 100 years old now.

Thank you again for your response!
aester667